3.7 tuning & technique guide
Basic setup
mast rakeUse Bruce Farr's mast rake diagram as a starting point. Most top boats have recently had the centre of their mast set 60 -80mm (2 or so inches) aft of the intersection point of the tapes.
CentreboardBruce Farr designed the boat with a centreboard that was raked aft, and had the centre of effort aft as well. But some guys have made boards that don't get slimmer with depth, and are not raked... and they have gone well in all conditions. Your centreboard rake is related to your mast rake... you must find out for yourself how your boat goes best.
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RudderClass Restrictions give you total freedom for your rudder design.
body WeightAt 12 stone (76kg) you will suffer a little against lightweights in light conditions, but will still be competitive overall. At 13+ stone (83kg+), you may need consistently strong winds...
Hull weightOther things being equal, at 54kg you will probably start to feel a disadvantage in light conditions against 50kg hulls.
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Light air technique
upwind
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Downwind and reaching
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moderate air technique
Upwind
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downwind and reaching
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heavy air technique
upwind
CapsizesIn light breezes you simply climb up onto the centreboard, and as you pull the boat up, you let it swing into the breeze, so that as it comes upright, you climb aboard, head to wind.. No more problems.
In strong winds, NO SUCH LUCK. Once your boat is capsized, the wind will blow your hull around so that as you climb on the centreboard and lift the tip of the mast, the wind will get under the sail, and lift the boat up then straight over before you have any chance to get where you want to: the boat will cartwheel right over you, go right upside down, and come up in the position you started at. Try again, and the same thing will happen again, and again, and again... Intelligent solution: When the wind is too strong, don't fight it: roll with it ... ie, as the wind gets under the sail and starts to flip the boat over on top of you, DON'T try to clamber into the boat and crawl over to the other side. Instead, as soon as you see the mast tip lift, and you know the flip process is on its way, SLIP YOUR BODY DOWN UNDERNEATH THE CENTREBOARD - straight down into the water, the opposite of what your instincts tell you. As you go underneath the centreboard, the boat will flip, and suddenly you will find yourself lying on top of the board, with the mast downwind of you, your weight having stopped the boat's natural tendency to go right upside down again. Now you can easily right the boat (the mast being to leeward - no more flipping).
More downwind technique
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downwind
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Notes on heavy air sailing (and gale recovery...)
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